Take In a Shirt Collar and Cuffs – Small Changes, Big Difference

How to tell the collar is too wide

A collar that fits sits against the neck without pinching and without gaping. Test the simple two-finger rule: with the top button done up, you should fit two fingers inside the collar – no more. If you can fit a whole fist, the collar is too wide, and the shirt looks loose at the neck even if the rest fits. Many people buy a shirt by chest measurement and end up with a collar half a size to a full size too big.

The easy home job: move the button

The quickest fix for a slightly-too-wide collar is to move the collar button, and it is an honest home job. Moving the button a few millimetres inward tightens the collar by about half a size.

1. Button the shirt and pinch the excess at the neck so you can see how much you want to take in.
2. Mark where the button needs to move to (usually a few millimetres toward the edge).
3. Carefully unpick the old button without damaging the fabric.
4. Sew the button on at the new mark with a small 'shank' of thread, so it has room for the buttonhole.
5. Button up and check the two-finger rule before you fasten off the thread.

Cuffs that are too wide

The same principle applies to the cuff: if it sits loosely around the wrist, your watch and shirt slide forward over your hand. Often it is enough to move the cuff button.

1. Button the cuff and pinch it in until it sits comfortably around the wrist without pinching.
2. Mark the new spot for the button.
3. Unpick the button and sew it on at the new mark, again with a small thread shank.
4. If you want two widths to choose from, sew on an extra button so the cuff has two settings.

The bigger jobs – what a tailor does

If the collar is much too big, or the cuff needs to be slimmer in the fabric itself and not just at the button, moving a button is not enough. This is precision work, and it helps to know what it involves.

• Taking in the collar band: the collar is detached from the shirt, taken in to the right neck measurement and reattached – it needs the pattern and interfacing handled correctly.
• Reducing the cuff width: the cuff is opened and sewn narrower, with seams and any topstitching that must match the original.
• Collar and cuffs are often done together with taking in the shirt body, so the whole thing sits right.
• On shirts with visible topstitching, the stitch length and thread colour must match the original so the change does not show.

Quick guide: yourself or a professional?

A simple rule of thumb for what is a safe home job, and what should be left to someone with experience.

• Easy at home: moving the collar button, moving or doubling the cuff button, sewing on a loose button.
• Needs a professional: taking in the collar band, reducing the cuff in the fabric, matching visible topstitching.
• Consider a professional anyway: expensive shirts and shirts you care about, where a visible mistake cannot be undone.

When should you leave it to a tailor?

If the collar needs taking in through the fabric itself, the cuffs need to be slimmer, or the shirt needs taking in at the waist at the same time, this is routine work for a tailor and easy to get wrong at home. A tailor detaches and reattaches the collar to the right neck measurement, reduces the cuff cleanly, and matches seams and topstitching so the change does not show. We accept garments from all over Norway, you order online, and you see the price before you order.

Frequently asked questions